Abstract

This thesis is centred on the problem of child labour inthe urban areas of Zambia. The origins, types and contextof child labour are extensively described as are theincidence and distribution of the problem by locality,trade and activity. The very definition of 'child labour'is uncertain with legal, historical, comparative,customary and academic definitions being somewhatcontradictory. The differing notions are considered andreconciled. As child labour is mainly concentrated in the'informal sector', the nature of this sector in Zambiaand other poor countries is analysed. The limitedopportunities for education, employment and productiveand fulfilling self-employment in the informal sector arehighlighted.An account of the historical origins and development ofchild labour in the pre-colonial and colonial periods isprovided. An assessment of the measures designed tocontrol or ameliorate child labour follows. This coversthe work of international organisations, the colonial andpost-colonial governments in Zambia, the voluntary sectorand concerned individuals. The effectiveness and coverageof the relevant international conventions and local legalprovisions and enforcement are evaluated. Theconsequences on child labour of more recent interventionsby international agencies, for example the StructuralAdjustment Program of the World Bank, are illustrated.Three main forms of analysis have been used in thisthesis. First a descriptive account of child labour hasbeen supplied using secondary accounts and unpublishedreports. Second, the author has undertaken a comparativeanalysis, examining child labour in two other Africancountries as well as two countries in each of thecontinents of Asia and Latin America. Third, extensiveinterviews with child labourers themselves and those whoare close to their plight have been undertaken, toprovide the actor's own graphic and personal views on theissues discussed.The thesis concludes with an appraisal of thesignificance of the study, general prescriptive commentsand some more specific policy recommendations designed toaddress and combat the incidence and worst features ofchild labour in Zambia.